Capacity Development

Capacity development
Nairobi, 27 May 2002
Stephen Browne
Capacity is at the core of the
development process
Objective
At the end of the session,
participants will be able to:
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Describe what capacity development is and
identify major challenges and factors
contributing to, or hindering capacity
development
Determine why CD is important for UNDP’s work
Discuss the contribution of technical cooperation
to CD
Analyse how UNDP can best respond to the
challenges of CD
Activities



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Sharing a definition of capacity and discussing
the major factors and challenges in capacity
development
Examining examples of CD
Discussing how technical cooperation does or
does not contribute to CD
Determining how UNDP can best address the
challenges of CD
What is Capacity?

The ability of individuals, organizations and
societies to perform functions, solve problems
and set and achieve objectives
What is Capacity
Development?

The process by which individuals,
organizations and societies develop
abilities (individually and collectively) to
perform functions, solve problems and
set and achieve goals
Capacity development or
capacity building?


A more comprehensive concept
Goes beyond institution building &
strengthening
Capacity Development- what
does it entail?
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Nurturing existing capacities
Creating new capacities
Utilizing capacities once created
Giving new opportunities
How is Capacity Developed?
-three dimensions

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Individual
Organizational
Systemic/Societal
What does this mean for
UNDP?
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Why…
What…
Who…
How…
What does this mean for
UNDP?

How do we support CD more effectively?

TC/CD are two sides of the same process
Exercise:

In small groups, develop a project idea
on capacity development– based on your
experience
This morning’s questions

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Why are heavily-aided countries still the
poorest?
Which constituency to worry about –
Govt, donors, UN agencies, beneficiaries?
Should development be donor-driven?
TC in capacity development –
main features

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Donor driven because donor funded
Gap-filling approaches
Inflexible/off-the-shelf
Donors have something to sell (75%)
Projectised: funds-bound, time-bound
TC in capacity development results


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High ‘success’, but low impact (micromacro paradox)
Not related to development goals and
outcomes
Out of context, not well absorbed
Repetitive cycles of projects
The CD ‘tests’
Individual
Organisational
Societal
Literacy
Civil
NGO
Tertiary
education rate
Brain drain
service
professionalism
Civil service
independence
Independent
legislature
vibrancy
Private sector
Information &
connectivity
UNDP – doing things better


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Always see the bigger picture
Relate CD to MDGs and major
development outcomes
Involve beneficiaries - design &
evaluation
Support aid coordination & management
Be the CD ‘gurus’